914 



ceived some such odour in a large number of specimens of each en- 

 closed in a tin box at night, but could never be made sensible of it in 

 individual plants, any more than in Spiranthes autumnalis, so grateful 

 to many people, or in Linaria repens, odorous to some, although quite 

 as sensible as the generality of persons to the perfume of Gymnadenia 

 conopsea, Habenaria chlorantha, violets, roses, and other garden 

 scents. 



Cephalanthera ensifolia. In precisely similar places with the last, 

 of which it is often the associate, but much less general than that. 

 Not certainly known to inhabit the Isle of Wight, unless the Serapias 

 longifolia of Mr. J. Woods, jun., in B. G. were this species and not 

 Epipactis palustris.* Abundant at Westbury in the same place, and 

 intermixed with C. grandiflora ; the Miss Sibleys !!! Plentiful in 

 Bordean Hanger; Miss G. E. Kilderbee !!! Stoner Hill; Mr. Borrer. 

 Wood near Upham (by Bishop's Waltham) ; Dr. A. D. White and 

 Miss L. Minchin. Pink's Hill, near Warnford ; Rev. E. M. Sladen. 

 Wonston ; Miss Legge ! In the long southern ride in Avington 

 Wood ; Dr. A. D. White. 



Mr. Watson (Cyb. Brit. ii. p. 419) intimates a doubt in his mind of 

 the specific identity of C. grandiflora and ensifolia, but surely few 

 plants can be better marked than these, nor have I ever observed the 

 least disposition in them to intermingle their respective characters. 

 C. grandiflora is a taller and far more robust species, often emitting 

 two or several stems from the same root, the flowers larger, more dis- 

 tant, and extremely erect, often very numerous, beginning quite low 

 down on the stem, and constituting a kind of leafy raceme ; rather 

 cream-coloured than white ; sepals and lateral petals obtuse, the lip 

 very blunt, leaves widely different in shape, far broader, thicker, not 

 acuminate or (in appearance) distichous. C. ensifolia, on the other 

 hand, is a smaller, more delicate and slender plant, seldom emitting 

 more than a single stem from the root, with far narrower leaves of a 



* The great confusion formerly existing hetwixt our two Cephalantherae and Epi- 

 pactis palustris, all of which had Serapias longifolia for one of their synonyms, make 

 it impossible to determine which of the three Mr. Woods had in view. Since C. en- 

 sifolia grows with C. grandiflora in the woods of Hampshire, that may poSsibly have 

 been the species intended by Mr. W. Yet I am inclined to the belief that C. grandi- 

 flora (called Serapias longifolia by Hudson) was rather the plant meant by that gen- 

 tleman, which is known to inhabit this island, and I conjecture that the station be- 

 tween Shanklin and Godshill was in all likelihood the rocky copses known as Cowpit 

 Cliff and Hatchett Close, where, although I have never seen either kind, these Helle- 

 borines are both likely to occur. 



